When I was looking at old photos of my small hometown, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania earlier this week I stumbled across my First Grade class picture complete with the names of all the students. That led me to google my fellow grade classmates to see what happened to them. That search proved to be fairly fruitless. Since I’m not on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and since apparently most of my classmates did not become famous, I found very little.
One search, however, led me to the obituary of the father of one of my old best friends. I remember this man, the father from when I played with my friend and slept over his house. The father built their house, I’m pretty sure. I know for certain that he did major landscaping work outside because after my friend moved in, I saw his father working on weekends putting in retaining walls, a driveway, landscaping and trees. I also remember that the father had a collection of fascinating medieval weapons mounted inside of their home. He had a mace, a ball-and-chain, a sword and a knight’s helmet.
My friend was a great kid. He had a younger brother who was also really friendly. The three of us would ride bikes, play war, hike, watch movies and run around together outside all day long.
Even though we moved away when I was in second grade, I still visited my friend in the summer until we lost touch when I stopped visiting Tamaqua after I entered high school.
The obituary for the father detailed his life who died at 84. I also read his wife’s obituary, as her death preceded his.
He met his wife in a small neighboring town and got married. They moved to Tamaqua in 1975 with their two boys. He worked and retired from a blue collar manufacturing career.
His wife volunteered at the local hospital. He coached track and field for the local high school – coaching his son’s teams and continuing for decades after his kids has graduated. He was involved in leading Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. His wife led the candy stripers and did Meal-On-Wheels. Both were involved in a number of local civic groups. They remained in Tamaqua for their entire lives.
They left behind two boys and a daughter plus a number of grandchildren.
I never did find out anything more about my friend. I don’t know if he went to college, what he does for a living or where he lives.
But as I read about his parents I thought, “They lived a pretty good life.”
I hope my friend is doing the same.
